Cheated
by Xaphrin
Summary: If you only had one week left to live, what would you do with that time? Raven's soul has been called for reaping, and she is promised one last week on earth. She knows this is the end, and she will not leave this plane of existence without tying up a few loose ends, and maybe confessing a few secrets as well.
1. Prologue

**Cheated  
**Prologue

Raven stared at the suited man that stood at the end of her bed. He picked at his nails with a worn pocket knife and stared at her with a bored expression. If Raven looked at him long enough, she could say that his face was almost handsome, the kind of face girls would giggle at as he passed by on a city street. But, she knew that under that sweet face sat the cold heart of a Reaper, far older and more dangerous than anything she had encountered before. She knew what he was here for, what he expected from her, and she knew that her time had come. His hair fell into his face and he pushed it out of his black eyes, continuing to stare at her.

"So... I have no say in the matter, do I? Nothing I can do or say to you to make you change your mind? I'm a hero, saving lives..."

"No." He glanced up at her before returning to examine his nails.

Surprisingly, she wasn't exactly _shocked_ that a Reaper stood before her. Two years ago, she had _technically_ perished, and she was meant to die, but she survived by whatever energies kept the universe together. She knew she had played with fire long enough, and that she had been living on borrowed time. She was an abomination, not supposed to live, not supposed to break the chains of Hell, but she had been hoping that maybe her broken soul was overlooked. Unfortunately, she wasn't so lucky. But she also wasn't expecting for him to appear at two in the afternoon on a Thursday.

He shrugged and stopped picking at his nails. "What do you expect, Raven? That we were just going to forget about you? We made serious, long-term preparations for your _disaster _of a soul, and you just cheated death without breaking a sweat. You were supposed to die two years ago and yet somehow you magically didn't. Friendship and love and honor and all that bullshit. You were _dead_. There is no other word for it, and yet here you stand, completely alive." He paused and shoved his hands into his pockets, offering her a sparkling smile that did nothing to calm her nerves. "We've given you ample time to set your affairs in order, and we've been more than generous and accommodating your personal wishes, but this is the end. I'm afraid you're going to have to come with me."

Raven didn't even have time to respond even if she had an argument to make. He took a step forward and pulled out the pocket knife again. She could feel his fingers reach through her aura and tug at the strands of her soul, pulling them out far enough to sever her ties to this world. Raven pulled back, pain rippling through her skin as she fought against his strength. For being a pretty boy, he certainly handled her roughly. Coldness spilled into her veins, as if all of her blood was being replaced by ice water, chilling her to the core as her life was pulled from her body. Her breath escaped her lungs in short gasps, and she continued to pull away from him, trying to keep distance between her and death.

Behind her darkening vision she saw a soft, slanted smile and dark eyes, in her ears she heard a low laugh that reminded her of waves crashing on a shore, her nose filled with the scent of warm, ocean breeze, and her tongue tasted the salt of seaspray. Her heart fluttered as the sensations overtook and she pulled back even farther, trying to hold on to those few precious feelings, the last few bits of her life. Of all the ways she imagined the end of her soul, _this_ was certainly not it.

"Wait!" Raven tumbled off the side of the bed, holding her hands out in front of her to stop any more of his advances. The pain was unbearable, and she was shocked that she could even move, let alone _talk_. "Wait. I didn't know you were coming, I wasn't prepared, I've got things to do, I..." She was grasping at straws, and he knew that, but she would try anything she could. She hadn't even confronted those dark eyes with the truth yet, she couldn't leave without telling him the truth. "I can't go just yet. Can you at least give me a little more time?"

There was a long pause as he stared at her, shocked that she would have the audacity to ask for even more time.

He heaved and exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes, giving the strands of her soul some slack and muttering under his breath. "Of course. They _always _ask for more time. No one ever wants to come on the first visit because that would make my job _easy._" He looked into her eyes, lips turning down into a frown. "So, two years isn't enough? You still need _more _time to set things in order? You _seriously_ need to reconsider your time management skills."

"I wasn't exactly _aware_ you were coming today, you know." She huffed out a breath of irritated air and glared at him, trying to still the frantic beating of her heart as warmth returned to her limbs. "I just... I need more time. I've got some unfinished business, things I need to complete before you take me. Please, just a few more days... and then I'll go with you. You have the right to take me, and I won't fight you on that, I died and my soul should have been taken, but it wasn't. But I can't go just yet, I need a little more time."

The Reaper stared at her with a bored expression. "_Always_." He sighed again. "_Fine_. I guess a little more time isn't going to hurt either of us, but there will be no more extensions. You get one week. That's all, no more, no less." He let the strings of her soul slide back into her body like slow elastic and continued to stare at her. "And I need a token of your promise, something you cannot live without."

Raven swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably under the weight of his eyes. "Which is?"

"The most precious thing that belongs to you: your powers, demon." Without waiting for a response, his fingers plucked at the threads of her soul in the same way a harpist would pluck at the strings of their instrument, and searched through the strands of her soul until he found the one he was looking for. He tugged at it, pulling the invisible string taut and severing it with his pocket knife. He slid the strand between his fingers before pocketing it and the knife. "This is what made you who you were, and now you are nothing more than a mortal." He paused and smiled. "Humanity... weird feeling isn't it?"

"I..." Raven reached inside herself, looking for the push and pull of her powers as she touched her soul, but nothing seemed to slide along her senses. She was completely void of what made her who she was, of the violence in her soul. She looked up into his black eyes and rubbed her arms, suddenly feeling cold, as if a piece of her had died. She bit back a bark of humorless laughter, what a strange statement for someone who was going to die. "So, I'm human... for my last week on earth? That seems kind of a cheap shot, what if I wanted to use my powers for some humanitarian mission? What if I needed those for my time here."

The Reaper laughed, the noise sounding like broken church bells in the hollowness of her room. "Humanitarian mission? Raven, I have spent an eternity doing this, and not once has anyone ever asked for more time so they could 'do good'." His eyes softened almost, and his fingers clenched around the strand in his pocket. "It's okay to be a little selfish in your final desires. You only have so much time left on this plane of existence, take advantage of it. Skydive, go climb Mount Everest, learn to dance, confess your love to someone... you _can_ dote on yourself, you know." He paused and thought for a moment. "Besides, I can't have you running around and using your powers to try and change your fate again. I already made accommodations for you once, I'm not usually so nice the second time."

Raven looked at the clock and then back at him. "One week?"

He gave a short nod. "One week. Finish what you need to, and I will come for your soul. No extensions, no tricks, no games. This is the end, Raven..."

"I know."

He nodded again. "Then I will see you in one week. Enjoy your last days on earth." And with that, he vanished as quickly as he had come. No noise, no flash of magic, no burst of wind... nothing.

Raven fell back against her covers, staring at her ceiling, her heart heavy. How in the _world_ was she going to tell her friends? And what would they think of her? She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to grasp exactly what she had just agreed to. She had just offered her soul up without a fight and without question. But at least she had a little bit of time left, enough to tie up loose ends she didn't want flying away in the wind. This was her end, and if this was all the time she had left with her friends, then she was going to make every second count. And this time, she wasn't going to hesitate.

With a surprising amount of conviction, she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of her bed. "Alright, Raven... time to break the news."

)O(

_This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I don't think it would have turned out quite the way I wanted it to. So, here you go. It'll be fairly short, just a few chapters, but I'll make them count. Thanks for reading, and let me know what you think. _


	2. Chapter One

**Cheated  
**Chapter One

)O(

Raven stared at the four pairs of eyes that watched her with shock. Something cold and dark erupted in her stomach and she was forced to look away from them, wallowing in the thick feeling of their emotions as they stretched and moved around her, filling empty spaces with energy.

"I'm sorry... WHAT?" Beast Boy's hands flew up into the air as he continued to stare at her, mouth falling open. "What did you say?"

"I wasn't supposed to live, that's the long and short of it." Raven rubbed her arm and tried to avoid the way Robin looked at her. She glanced into his eyes and heaved an exasperated sigh. Really, what could he do to her now that she already had an expiration date on her head? "Look, Robin, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking that you did all that work so I could live, risked your life to save mine and now I'm going to die. It's like all your hard work has gone to waste."

"Actually no." His eyebrow peaked over the edge of his mask. "I was thinking that this seems like an unusual time to suddenly collect your soul. It's been two years, Raven, don't you think they would have come for your soul sooner? If you were supposed to die, and you didn't, why didn't they come for your soul earlier? Why did it have to be now?"

Tired of fighting, Raven just shrugged. "I don't know. I don't ask questions. I'm not privy to that information, seeing as I'm just another soul to them... albeit a strong soul, but just a soul nonetheless."

Cyborg was trying to hide his tears, but wasn't doing a very good job. "What are you saying, Raven... that you're just going to roll over and let them kill you?"

"Do I have another choice?" She sighed again and looked at her friends, fighting to keep her emotions in check. She was trying to keep her feelings from them, but she was just as confused and frustrated as they were. Two years had passed without incident, without any question towards her soul, and yet now of all times, she was suddenly asked to just give it up and pass on? Furthermore, give up her powers? What good would they be of use to a Reaper? Something didn't seem right, and as much as she wanted to dive into her books to figure it out, she was going to make sure a few things got marked off her bucket list, just in case.

"Look, I don't get a say in the matter. I'm just a pawn to them. A soul that needs to be collected."

"Friend Raven… I do not wish for you to die!" Starfire's arms flew around her friend's shoulders, and the strength of her embrace knocked Raven off of her feet. Starfire sobbed into her hair. "You are my friend of the girls, and we have spent many a victorious battle together and have created many poor and amazing memories, and I do not want those memories to be demolished. I don't want to see you die!"

"Starfire, you're crushing my internal organs." Raven somehow managed to push her friend off of her and grab a few deep breaths. She sat up and stared at her friends, sighing. "Look, I know this is hard to understand, but I don't have any way to combat this. There are two things in this universe that are out of my control: life and death. I've been lucky enough that they granted me this little time, so I might as well make use of it."

"And you're just going to let yourself die then?" Cyborg repeated himself for the hundredth time, teams spilling down his cheeks like something out of an anime. "Just roll over and let them take your soul? Because they're death and you don't want to fight them?"

"No." Raven sighed again and stood up. "I don't want to fight them, and I don't know how to fight them, and I don't have any powers. What do you want me to do? What do you expect me to do?" She dusted off her clothes and looked at her friends, feeling exhaustion sink into her bones. "I am at my end, and the only thing I can do at this point is spend it with the people I love."

Robin stared at her, face unreadable behind the mask. "If that's what you want, Raven…" He sounded like a mother who was questioning her daughter's choices, but still trying to let her have some kind of freedom. He sighed and took a step back, silently admitting defeat. "Then I won't stop you." Pause. "Although I wish you would reconsider the idea of letting us help you…"

"I'm going to look into it, Robin. I'm not going to completely ignore the situation. I know what I have to do, and I will study and research what I have to." She pushed her hair out of her eyes, forcing herself to look at all of her friends. "But I don't want that to consume my last week on earth. I don't want to hole myself up in my books and forget to live, and forget to be a friend. So grant me this at least."

Silence fell over everyone, and they all shuffled awkwardly around her statement. Everyone understood what she was telling them, that she didn't want to put faith into a cure or a spell, only to discover that she had wasted her last week on earth by hiding in books. She had friends she wanted to be with, and things she wanted to do, and she couldn't ignore that either. It was a catch-22.

It took a long moment before the silence was broken by Cyborg. "So, what do you want to do?"

Raven forced an awkward smile, trying to look positive and knowing that her answer was out of character. "Tomorrow night, I want to have a party."

)O(

Raven pushed through her friends, listening to their laughter resound in her ears. At her request, no one at the party actually knew that it was (in essence) a living wake. Her teammates just told all the guests that it was summer and the meat market was having a sale this week, so they were throwing an impromptu party. Everyone seemed to buy that explanation, and no one even questioned Raven's abnormal presence.

She stood in the middle of the room and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of their conversations and feeling their energies move and twist around her. She might not have been able to tap into the emotions as a power source anymore, but she could still feel their effect on the world around her.

"Raven!" Speedy pushed past her on the way to the makeshift dance floor. "Wanna dance?"

"Pass, ginger." She waved him off and moved towards the edge of the room. "I only dance with people who can actually move well."

"Ouch. Burn, little bird." In spite of his feigned hurt, he laughed and grabbed the arm of Starfire next to him and started dancing with her. Starfire was just as movement-challenged as he was, and the two of them made an interesting (or amusing, depending on how you looked at it) dance couple.

She felt someone step up beside her, flooding her senses with the salty scent of sea spray. For a moment she wondered if it was even him. His emotions were different from the rest of their friends. He wasn't jovial or excited, in fact, he wasn't even in his usual state of serenity and calmness. No, he was livid. Raven could feel the hot waves of anger pour off of him, and she could only guess that someone with a big mouth (Beast Boy, if she had to bet any money on it) let her secret slip.

She decided to try and play it off, maybe he didn't understand all the facets of her demise. Or maybe he was just angry about something else. "You're certainly angry about something. Did Cyborg cook salmon again, Garth? I told him not to cook fish."

"Don't play dumb with me, Raven."

Okay, clearly it was about her. She sighed and finally looked over at him, trying to keep her emotions at bay. A million different things were assaulting her now, and even though she didn't have the use of her powers, she could still feel the pull of where they were supposed to be. She turned away from Aqualad again, and bit her lip, letting the memories spill into her consciousness.

While their relationship had started out as simple camaraderie, after the whole debacle with Brother Blood, a deeper relationship had developed between them, and Raven discovered that they had a lot in common. He often asked for her advice regarding some of the magic the sorcerers in Atlantis would use, and through this common thread, they'd grown closer as friends in the past two years. He would come to the tower and they would talk magic, powers, telepathy, books, or sometimes they would just sit silence. Time forced them together, and Raven was almost certain that it would force them apart as well.

Her fingers tightened on the red drink cup in her hand. "So, you know?"

"Of course I know." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "You know Beast Boy can't keep a secret to save his life. He practically blabbed it in my ear the moment I walked through the door." His gaze drifted around the room for a moment before he plucked the glass out of her hands and set it down. "Clearly you had a reason for this secrecy, so I don't want to talk about this here, with everyone watching. Come on, let's go outside."

His hand slid into hers and he pulled her away from the din of the party, through the tower. She stared at his pale, almost delicate fingers threading through her own, and a flush erupted on her cheeks. It was no secret that she had a crush on him. How could she not? He was, out of any of the other Titans, the most mature. He was calm and patient and logical, all things that Raven admired out of anyone, and he was kind. He was never angry (although tonight might be an exception), and he was... well, he was gorgeous. Not cute, which reminded Raven of the kind of guy that teeny-boppers would plaster over their walls, but the kind of attractiveness that reminded Raven that Aqualad was a gentleman and of royal descent. As a woman, Raven was inclined to notice these things.

He pushed the door to the roof open and dragged her over the threshold, shutting the door behind them. They were alone up here, and Raven knew her friends would be too involved in the party to notice her absence (which was, unfortunately, usual). She pushed the hair out of her eyes and looked out across the water, tapping her fingers on the guardrail at the edge of the roof. Cool, moist air curled off the bay, pooling around her. "Any particular reason you wanted to pull me away from my party?"

"You mean your living wake?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned back against the railing next to her. There was a long moment of silence that stretched between them, and Raven could feel his confusion and hurt rake against her body before he managed to speak again. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It happened yesterday." She couldn't look into his eyes, knowing the pain she would see there. He had every right to be angry with her, as her friend he had the right to know, and she didn't tell him because she didn't want this to happen. "I didn't want you to know because I didn't want anyone to worry. I wanted to have memories of us being a team and being friends, not sobbing over my eventual demise. That's such a waste of energy and tears."

Her joke seemed lost on him, and his lips steeled into an even deeper frown. "So, what happened?"

She shrugged. "My soul was called for reaping. It's not that complicated of an idea."

"And you're okay with this?" He shoved his hair out of his eyes and stared at her. "Correct me if I'm wrong, Raven, but you have a lot to live for. A lot. I mean, the Titans saved your soul from certain destruction once, and you have the whole world in front..." He drifted off, realizing that what he was going to say sounded cliche. "What I'm trying to say is that this isn't like you just to lie down and take defeat. You're one of the strongest people I know. You fight for what you believe in, and I don't believe that you would just roll over and die."

"No... you're right." She leaned over the guardrail and stared down at the island below them, resting her chin on the cool metal. It wasn't the first time that she had been asked if she was "okay with this", but it was the first time she felt obligated to tell the truth. A shiver ran down her spine and she glanced back at him before looking over the edge of the tower again "No, I'm not okay with this. I don't want to die. I don't want to give up. But what choice do I have? It's a Reaper. Even if I knew how to combat it, I wouldn't have the power to do so. I would be fighting death, that's a power far older than myself. And... I don't want to put all my faith in a counter curse, only to discover that there isn't one. I don't want to lose my time with my friends."

"Raven..." His hand moved to touch hers for a moment, sending jolts of electricity racing through her arm. "I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing to say." Raven stood up and turned around, looking at the access door, feeling heavy at the seriousness of the conversation. None of her other friends had this effect on her, and when she discussed her inevitable demise, they had cried and whined like children. Aqualad was actually trying to reason with her. She glanced back at him and forced a sad smile. "I am going to die, and there's no way to stop it."

"So, you're just going to give up then?" His voice was sharp and rough, and it cut through the tension between them like a knife. He glared at her, eyes darkening in the pale moonlight. "That's it? You don't have any idea how to combat it, so you're just going to let it take you? As if the rest of us didn't matter? As if I didn't matter?"

Raven blinked and took a step back out of surprise. His hands were shaking next to his sides and he looked like he was about two seconds away from calling the entirety of the seven seas down on her. She swallowed hard and felt the color drain from her face as she moved away from him. "Look, I don't know what else I can do, Garth. I don't want to waste my final time on earth because I was trying to find a nonexistent counter-curse. I would rather spend my time with my friends."

"And I'd rather spend the rest of my time with you, Raven."

Raven didn't even know what to make of that comment.

He closed the space she put between them, eyes still dark. "But you're not even giving me that choice. You're forcing me to accept your fate because you don't want to chance a cure. You would rather worry too much about your friends and not enough about yourself, and let the rest of us watch you die. Forgive me, but I fail to see your logic behind this."

"You don't have to be an asshole, you know. I am not forcing you to accept my fate because it's not your fate or your decision! It's mine." Raven pushed at his chest, growling low in her throat. "Don't pin this blame on me. Don't make me out to be the bad guy because I have some crazy convoluted idea of actually enjoying my last few days on earth."

"I'm not denying you should enjoy your last days on earth, but you're not even going to try to fight this? That's not you, Raven."

"It doesn't matter, I'm going to die."

"It matters to me!" He pushed his hair out of his eyes again and growled. The energy sparking between them was almost unbearable, and it took Raven every ounce of energy she had not to look away. He grabbed her wrist and held onto her tightly, pinning her in her spot. "It matters to me, Raven. That's what I've been trying to tell you this whole time. I don't want you to die. I don't want you to give up... I just want you to live."

"Garth..." Raven tried to come up with words to say something, anything that would have made this situation any less awkward, but she just stood there wide-eyed and confused. Had he just confessed his feelings for her? Or was he saying these things because that's what was expected of him out of a friend? Raven tugged helplessly on her arm, not putting very much force behind her actions. "Garth, I don't know what to say..."

"Don't say anything." He pushed her against the guardrail, his voice softening as he crowded her personal space. "Just, shut up." With that, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

)O(

_So, I've decided try shorter chapters with more frequent updates with this story. Let me know if it works, or if you would rather I write longer chapters with less frequent updates. Also, I think I might take the main plot line in a slightly different direction, but I haven't fully decided that yet. We'll see. _

_Anyway, let me know what you think. Thanks again!_


	3. Chapter Two

**Cheated  
**Chapter Two

)O(

Raven didn't even know how to respond. She stood there, letting Garth's lips move against her own, her protests dying in her throat. She knew that, logically, she should be appalled that he was taking advantage of her lack of powers, she might not have had the same force she used to, but that didn't mean that she was suddenly going to fall all over him like some dopey schoolgirl. What was worse was that Raven _knew _he was treating this as a pity kiss. Just because she was nearly on her deathbed did not mean that she should be subject to this kind of humiliation from her friend. She wasn't a charity case simply because she was dying!

When she didn't respond to his (albeit skillful) ministrations, he pulled away to look into her eyes, confusion and embarrassment evident on his face. Shock filled the space between them, and Raven could feel the emotions pull at the end frayed edges of her powers. He fumbled with this words for a moment, trying to figure out what to say, but all he could manage to get out was: "Do you... not want me to kiss you?"

Raven put her hands on his shoulder and pushed against the strength of his body, trying to put space between them with what little force she had. She fought to keep her sanity about her, but his actions made it a difficult task. "Look, Garth... you're my best friend, and we share a lot of things, and we've had a lot of time together to grow as teammates and colleagues and _friends_..."

"Oh, Poseidon," he interjected, his face pale from shock, "I'm being friend-zoned aren't I? That's what this has come to? You're on your deathbed and I'm putting myself out here... and I _still _get friend-zoned. It's like a bad dream that I'm never going to wake up from." His head fell into his hands and he groaned. "I can't believe this."

"Well, I don't want to be pity-kissed because I'm dying!" She felt the anger rise in her throat before she could stop it. It bubbled just below the surface of her control, threatening to break anytime. Without the use of her powers she resorted to stamping her feet like a child to release energy and emotions building inside her. She _really_ wished she could just blow something up or punch someone. She wasn't helpless, she understood what was going to happen to her, but her death didn't give Aqualad a reason to treat her like she was something to be pitied.

"I don't want you waltzing in here pretending that you... _like _me... simply because I'm dying. That's just a cheap shot, especially if you knew that I..." Color flooded her face as her words drifted off and she looked away, stepping to the side to avoid his stare. She didn't want to admit those feelings just yet. "Never mind. The point is that I'm not going to let you take advantage of me because you think it's what I want."

"So, exactly _what _are you trying to tell me?" He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back on his heels, staring at her with that deep dark stare that reminded her of the calm before an ocean storm, he was trying to piece her half-sentences together, and it was almost as if he understood what she was saying between her spoken words. Silence enveloped them for several long moments before he finally continued. "_Is_ it what you want? If you weren't dying and your mind wasn't clouded by this ridiculous idea that I'm kissing you out of pity, would you still want me to kiss you?"

Raven stared into his face, trying to keep her emotions at bay. She still felt the push and pull of her splintered soul, bits and pieces of her raging against what was true and what was false, and trying to figure out if Garth was being honest. She pushed and her hair and took a few more steps away, she needed space between them if she was going to keep her wits together. "We're not in that situation, so what I tell you really doesn't matter all that much."

His lips pursed and he closed the space between them, and Raven could feel the heat rolling off him in waves. "It does. So, tell me the truth, Raven. If you weren't dying, and I was still standing here confessing _my true _emotions to you... would you want me to kiss you?"

"I don't know." She forced a nonchalant shrug, keeping the emotional wall between them. "As I said, we're great friends... it's hard to say what my emotions would be if the situation was different."

He rolled his eyes, and his hand curled under her chin. "I think you know _exactly_ what your feelings would be if things were different. I think you know _exactly _what your response would be to me. And, I think you know _exactly _why you're trying to keep this space between us."

Raven looked into his eyes and steeled herself against the fear that squeezed her heart like a vice. She drew herself up to her full height and pursed her lips, pulling her chin away from his fingertips. "So what if I do, Garth? It's not going to change anything. If I tell you what my feelings are it's not going to change my fate. There's not going to be some magical fairy that'll stop the fact that I'm _going to die_, and then what? You'll be left with the pain of having loved someone on her deathbed. Pity case or otherwise." She pushed at her hair again, a nervous habit she was quickly developing. "I won't be responsible for that."

"Then let me carry that responsibility." His hand cupped her cheek and he stared down into her eyes. "I don't have a whole lot of time left with you, and _I want this_. I have feelings for you, Raven. I don't always know what they are or how to express them, although sometimes I'm sure _frustration_ tops the list more often than not. I just want to have the opportunity to tell you how I feel and to let you know the truth. That's all."

She bit her lower lip and forced her fear towards the back of her mind. He was right, he was putting himself out in front of her, and she owed him the truth at the very least. "_If_ things were different, and I was _not_ dying, then my response would have been different, and I would have wanted you to kiss me. I would want you to _feel _for me, whatever it is." She raised her hand, stopping his words before they left his lips. "But things _are not_ different, and you're still standing there treating me like a pity case. Yes, I like you, Garth, but that doesn't mean that I want you to like simply because I'm dying. At least let me have that little bit of dignity."

He shook his head and moved closer to her again, his thumb sliding over her swollen lower lip. "You know, it's really a _rare _day when I have to tell you to shut up twice." Without waiting for a response, he pressed his lips against her a second time, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her body into his.

Raven knew she should be angry that he wasn't listening to her, she was trying to at least have some semblance of dignity and control over her death. But being kissed by him a second time really made it hard to think of _any_ coherent reasons why she should stop him. Finally giving into that cold, aching feeling inside her stomach, she leaned up and kissed him back.

Electricity raced between them, sending sparks flying behind her eyes every time their skin touched. Raven ran the tip of her tongue along his lips, indulging in the sweet, salty taste of sea spray that clung to his kisses. He made a noise of approval at her innocent exploration and buried his fingers into her hair, tilting her head to the side and nudging her lips open to allow him access to the temple of her mouth.

Raven tentatively split her lips, fighting her blush at the heat that pooled in her stomach and spread through the rest of her body. She was confused by the new and somewhat strange sensation of his tongue stroking hers, deftly exploring her. He was gentle but insistent with his caresses, giving her time to adjust to the feeling before demanding more. Raven wasn't exactly sure what to do, so she mimicked his movements and wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him even closer to her.

Aqualad pulled away, gasping for breath as he buried his nose in her hair. Moments passed as he caught his breath, giving low, breathy chuckles that rumbled like soft thunder through both of their bodies. "You know, for thinking this was nothing more than a pity kiss, you're pretty responsive."

"I can't help it." Raven's cheeks flushed bright red and she unraveled her arms from around his neck, trying to hide her emotions in the shadows of the night. "I'm sorry, Garth... I didn't mean to-"

"Seriously, Raven. _Shut. Up._ Or I'll find something else to keep that tongue of yours busy."

She didn't have time to even think of a response before his lips were on hers again. He pushed her against the guardrail, his hands pinning her between him and the edge of the roof. His tongue slid along the seam of her lips again, before his teeth caught her lower lip and tugged. Raven whimpered against him, her body pushing against his, trying to find _something _that would relieve the ache that was spreading through her veins like dry ice, both hot and freezing at the same time.

Growling low in his throat, his hands left her wrists before they started to roam over the wild, undiscovered planes of her body. Fingertips traced up and down the curves of her back before sliding lower down her sides and palming her hips. Heat seared against his touch and Raven moaned against his mouth, her hands tightening in the soft cotton of his tee-shirt.

His fingers bit harder into her flesh, and he pulled her against him again, letting Raven feel every muscle twitch and move beneath her own touch. Sometimes she really forgot just how well built he was, and now she had the desire to know how the rest of him was built. Using the guardrail as leverage and support, she leaned her weight against the cool metal and hooked one of her legs up around his hip, drawing him even closer. Their bodies touched in ways that only made the ache in her own body worse, and Raven couldn't stop the whimper that escaped her lips.

Aqualad growled again, and pulled away to look into her eyes. "Don't tease." He bit her lower lip again before releasing the swollen flesh to travel along the smooth column of her neck. He ran his tongue along her jugular before sucking on the tender flesh over her thumping pulse, leaving a brand against her skin. One of his hands on her hip ventured northward to the sensitive spot under her breast, tracing the seams of her bra before cupping her through layers of fabric. Even with the barriers between them, Raven could still feel his touch as if it were hot on her own skin. She moaned, burying her fingers into his hair and encouraging further exploration of her body.

Too bad it would be cut short.

The door to the roof slammed open, sounding like gunfire being shot between the two of them. Cursing under her breath, Raven jumped away from Aqualad as if she'd been burned. What in the world did she just let herself _do_? She was supposed to be the calm, cool, collected one out of all of her teammates, and she just let herself be blinded by the heat of a body pressed against hers. It was as if all of her self control simply vanished at his touch. Just because she was dying didn't mean that she should forget about keeping her dignity intact, she deserved that at least. Color flooded her face and she seemed suddenly interested in the way the surf hit the shoreline below the tower, examining the pattern as it crashed against the rocks. Next to her, she could feel Aqualad's anger roiling under the surface and hear his almost inaudible curses as Bee and Cyborg stumbled onto the room, arms around each other.

"Oh, Rae! I didn't know anyone was going to be up here."

She winced and turned around, trying to offer her normal, flat smile, pretending nothing had happened. "Cy, last time I checked the roof was a common area, but I can see that is not always the case." Her eyes darted between him and Bee watching as their skin darkened with embarrassment, and she raised an eyebrow. "I see you two are... _busy_. I was just about to leave, so you can finish whatever you are doing."

"Rae... um... it's-"

She cut his off with a wave of her hand and moved toward the door to the roof, ignoring the way her limbs trembled with each step. "I don't want to know. I'm just going to go back to the party and pretend that this meeting never happened." She paused, her hand the handle to the door and caught Aqualad's still smoldering expression before she opened the door. "Have a good night everyone."

"Raven, wait..." He chased after her, exchanging sheepish glances with Bee before rushing past the other couple. He threw open the door and chased her down the winding staircase, his steps racing after her as she tried to desperately put space between them. He finally caught up with her, his hand grabbing her shirt sleeve before she could retreat anymore. "Raven... wait. Please." He repeated himself, his hand slid down her arm to tangle between her fingers. Electricity sparked between their fingertips, reminding them both of what had just transpired on the roof. "Don't go back to the party just yet."

Raven raised an eyebrow and looked at him, trying to keep up her normal facade of apathy. Underneath her exterior, her body was raging with a million different emotions she couldn't quite place. It felt like her skin was vibrating, and her heart continued to pound in her ears, her throat, her chest, her stomach, and even a little lower. She knew what she wanted, what she _needed_, but she couldn't seem to let go of her propriety just yet. Sheswallowed whatever emotions were still swirling around in her throat and stared up at him, keeping her face blank. "And why not? It's my _living wake _as you put it, I might as well enjoy it."

He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down into her face. "Just two minutes ago you were making out with me and now you're arguing with me. How in the world does that make sense?"

She cleared her throat, trying to keep away the memories on his hands and lips on her body. She wanted him to push her against the wall and ravage her again, wanted to feel his cool fingertips exploring her body again, wanted to feel his tongue against her skin. She pulled her hand from his and started down the stairs. "I was blinded by hormones. Trust me, it won't happen again."

Aqualad seemed taken aback for a moment, as if insulted by her words. He let silence hang between the for a moment before rolled his eyes and reached out to grab her wrist again, pulling her down the stairwell and on to the living quarters hallway floor. "You know what? I think I've got you figured out."

"Figured out?" Raven tugged at her wrist as he pulled her along the quiet, dark floor. All of her teammates and friends were at the party (or on the roof), leaving them alone of the floor. "And that is?"

"You just need direction." He stopped next to her door and pushed her against the wall, fingers tugging at the hem of her shirt in an unspoken promise. "You're too frightened to accept the idea that you might actually have _real, human_ wants and needs, and you know what? Those are okay to have. They're okay to explore." He paused for a moment, a slow smile splitting his lips as his fingers dipped below the waistband of her jeans, tracing the curves of her hip. "Provided you explore them with me. Come on, Raven, punch in your access code. We're going to your room to finish this before you decide to change your mind... yet again."

Raven felt color flood her face again as she searched for some semblance of sanity in all of this. Her legs felt like Jell-o and she couldn't do anything but follow his directions and punch in her access code to her room. "Finish _what_?"

His smile was filled with a hundred promises that weren't appropriate to mutter in polite company, and pulled her into the dark sanctuary of her room. "I'm not done making out with you just yet. Let's go find somewhere _private_, and we'll just see how far we can go."

)O(

_Sorry this was so short. I think, in the end, it was more like fan-service than anything else, and because I didn't want to take the "next step" in our relationship, dear reader, without your approval. That being said, I have my bag of lemons at the ready if you want me to use them, if not I can continue with plain ol' fruit punch._

_Anyway, let me know what you think. I appreciate reviews. _


	4. Chapter Three

**Cheated  
**Chapter Three

)O(

Raven felt the comforting, familiar feeling of the cool shadows of her room wrap around her as Aqualad guided her into the small space. Never breaking his fevered kiss, his fist slammed against the locking mechanism next to the door, effectively sealing them both in and away from anyone who might possibly disturb them. Raven thought he moved surprisingly slow for someone who knew that they only had a limited about of time left. It seemed almost as if he were savoring her, like a sommelier savored fine wine.

His lips traveled down her neck again as his hands slid under her shirt tracing the curve of her spine with feather-like touches, eliciting (somewhat embarrassing) soft pants from her between their kisses. His fingers paused at her hips, and there was a moment's hesitation, as if his mind suddenly remembered he should be doing something more productive than kissing her senseless. He pulled away to stare down into her eyes, fingers leaving the skin of her back and moving to cup her cheeks. He tilted her face towards his, searching through her soul for something hidden in their depths. Raven wanted to pull away, wanted to keep the distance between them, but he wasn't letting her have any reprieve from the onslaught of his emotions.

She swallowed hard and prayed that he couldn't see her blush in the darkness. "What is it?"

"I want your honesty, Raven."

Raven felt the words leave her mouth before she even had a chance to think about what she was saying. "I haven't done this before."

His lips quirked to the side and his shoulders shook, as if he was trying to contain his laughter to avoid her embarrassment. "That's not what I was going to ask... "

Embarrassment coursed through her veins as she realized exactly what she admitted. "Oh... um..."

His thumb rubbed along her swollen lips, and he offered her a reassuring smile. "But, if it eases your fears, I have been... _trained_ to please my mate. So, you do not need to worry, I will make sure that you are well taken care of."

She pulled back further, raising an eyebrow as her blush faded into incredulity. "_Trained_? What does that mean?"

Aqualad's smile faded into a heated stare, and his hands moved from her face, trailing down her shoulders to her hips. "It is a long standing belief in Atlantis that a ruler must know how to please his mate before himself. If a ruler seeks his own pleasure above his mate's in the bedroom, then he will also seek his own pleasure above his subjects. A true ruler values others before himself, in all ways possible." He tugged her shirt over her head, leaning his forehead against hers as he looked in her eyes. "I have been trained to make sure that your pleasure supersedes my own."

Raven didn't even know how to process that information. Did that mean he had been with hundreds of women? Did that mean that she was just another way to hone his skills? What if she couldn't please him? What if she failed because of her innocence? Doubt and frustration filled her bones and she pulled out of his arms, finally getting a moment's rest from him. She backed up a few steps, and moved across the room, finally realizing what had almost transpired between the two of them. She really needed to figure out this whole "humanity" thing and remember to _not _be a slave to her emotions. And she needed to do it soon before she let something irrevocable happen between her and Aqualad.

She pushed at her hair, searching through the darkness for her shirt. He had tossed it somewhere she couldn't see, and having his gaze follow her around the room wasn't helping. "I can't do this, Garth. I'm sorry. I just can't..."

"And why not? Why can't we be _adults _and enjoy each other?" His voice sounded harsh in the silence of the room, and his words speared a part of her she didn't know she had. His eyes narrowed, and he crossed his arms over his chest as he continued to watch her move. "You're letting your fear take hold of you, Raven and you know it. You're worried about what is happening to you, and you're worried that one of us is going to get hurt."

"That's because one of us _is _going to get hurt. There's no way around it, I'm going to die and you're going to be left with the pain of having something and losing it." Raven looked away. Saying those words out loud made everything twist into focus, like looking through a telescope and focusing on something far away. She could feel the rest of the world around her, but all that mattered was this moment. "I can't do this, Garth. Not to you." She repeated herself, feeling more helpless than she ever had before.

"I told you to let me carry that responsibility, and I'm not asking you to do something you _can't_ do, Raven." Aqualad closed the space she had put between them, his fingers tightening around her wrist to stop her from retreating anymore. "I'm asking you to indulge for once. I'm asking you to enjoy me as more than a friend you keep at arm's length. I'm asking you to let me make love to you."

"Garth..."

The way he said it so blatantly made her stomach clench with a mixture of fear and anticipation. She stopped looking for her shirt and her arms wrapped around herself, trying to shield herself from his hungry eyes.

He slid his hands up her arms and pulled her back into the shelter of his body, looking down at her. "I'll go slow, I'll let you adjust... I just don't want to let this time with you go to waste. I want us both to make most of the time we have left." He finally broke his stare with her and looked away, a hint of color spreading across his pale skin. "That's all I want."

Biting her lip, Raven looked into his eyes. He fully intended on being patient with her, letting her have whatever she needed to accept him and what was happening between them. Swallowing what was left of her fear, she gave a slow, hesitant nod, agreeing to his demands.

"In that case, I'm done talking for now." His lips pulled back in a predatory smile, and his fingers buried into her hair. "I have more interesting things to do with my mouth."

)O(

Robin looked around the room, something hollow and aching twisting in his chest. His hands tightened around his drink cup, trying not to dwell too much on _why_ everyone was here. Seeing all of his friends gathered for Raven's last week on earth seemed bittersweet. It was the most they had seen of each other in a long time, and spirits were high. But then again, Raven would be gone forever. He sighed and placed his hand to his forehead, biting back frustration and anger.

None of this made any sense. Why would the reapers be coming after Raven _now_? It had been two years since the battle with Trigon. If she was _supposed _to die, why didn't they come after her sooner? Why didn't they collect their debt after the battle? Robin bit back a curse and looked around the room for his best friend, hoping to talk to her in private for a moment.

She was missing. Odd.

He grabbed Beast Boy as he passed. "Hey, have you seen Raven?"

"Yeah..." His ears dropped a little, and a blush stained his cheeks. He looked like a child caught being naughty. "She went up on the roof with Aqualad a little while ago."

"Oh... is everything okay? She wasn't... _crying_ was she?" He felt stupid for asking that question, Raven never cried.

"Heh..." Beast Boy fidgeted for a moment, twiddling his hands as he stared at the floor. "I _might _have accidentally let it slip about Raven... _ya know_."

Robin felt the color drain from his face. "What?" He pulled him away from prying ears, and glared down at his teammate. "We promised her that we wouldn't tell _anyone_. Including other team members."

"It was an accident and the booze... and well, _ya know_ how Garth feels about her." He tugged at his hair. "I couldn't _not _tell him! He would have been devastated if we kept it from him."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? What feelings does Aqualad have?"

"Dude, seriously? He's over here _all the time_ to see Raven. It's not like he comes to hang out with me or you or Star." Beast Boy snorted and pushed his leader's hands off him. "For being a detective, you're pretty dense."

Cyborg came up behind them, face flushed as he glanced around the room. "Have you seen, Rae? I need to apologize for... something."

Robin raised an eyebrow, growing more confused by the second. "Beast Boy just said she went to the roof. Weren't you just up there?"

"Well, I was and she _was..._ but then she threw one of her 'Raven-Fits' and ran away... and then Aqualad ran after her..." Cyborg seemed to put it together, and his color darkened. " And she's not here. You know what? I'll just hang on to that apology for a little bit. I have the distinct feeling it's been forgotten by now anyway."

Robin looked between his two best friends. "Forgotten? What is going on?"

Beast Boy snorted. "Let's just say I think the waves are pounding the shoreline."

Cyborg paled and he sneered as if he just saw a car crash. "Things I did not want to think about. Thanks for that image, BB."

He shrugged, but looked unrepentant. "Euphemisms aren't exactly my strong point."

"What is going on?"

Cyborg glanced down at Robin before looking at Beast Boy, shrugging. "For being a detective, he is pretty dense."

Robin glared. "I am _not dense_. I'm just confused."

Cyborg took a deep breath. "Robin, sometimes when a girl and a guy really like each other's company..."

Speedy walked by, laughing at Robin's helplessness. "They're having sex, Robin. Seeeeeeexxxxxx. You know. The horizontal tango. Knockin' boots. Rolling in the hay. Taking a nap. Hide the banana."

Robin clamped his hand over Speedy's mouth, face bright red. "I got it. There's no reason to continue with... _that_."

He snorted and pulled his friend's hand off him as he continued on his path to the drink table. "You know, for being a detective, you're pretty dense."

"Forget it."

)O(

Aqualad trailed his fingertips down her sides, reveling in the feeling of her skin underneath his. It was as if her whole body was made of silk and porcelain. He moved his hands behind her, unsnapping her bra easily and sliding it off her body, dragging it over her skin to increase the sensation of being undressed. Her eyes avoided his stare as moved against her, teeth capturing her own lip and chewing in nervousness.

He couldn't lie to himself, he loved the red color that stained her skin, reflecting her innocence to him. Not that he had a multitude of partners to indulge either. He had only been with one woman before, his _tutor_ (if you could call her that), and he had never met someone he wanted to use his skills on. Raven was the only woman he wanted to pleasure like this.

"Don't be afraid, Raven... I'm not going to hurt you."

She looked up at him, still blushing. "I'm trying not to be _shy_. I... I don't want to disappoint you."

Aqualad stared at her, shocked by her words. "Disappoint me? I highly doubt that is an option." He unsnapped her jeans, sliding them off her body along with her panties. In the faint light from the moon and cityscape, he caught a shadowy glimpse of her magnificent body. "Having you in my arms is all I ask..." He dipped his mouth to her ear. "Hearing you pant and moan is simply the icing on the cake. Now, Raven, lay back on your bed and let me enjoy making love to you."

He watched her struggle for a moment, as if she was trying to figure out what she should do. Aqualad smiled softly before nudging her shoulders, making her tumble backward onto her bed. He followed her body, running his fingers over her curves, watching as gooseflesh erupted over the smooth planes. He leaned over her, cupping her cheek as his lips met hers in another fevered kiss. What his tutor never told him was that pleasuring the woman he loved was going to be the most delicious torture for himself.

His lips explored her mouth, indulging in the taste of tea and shadows, a hint of rum from her drink still lingering on her lips. He caught her tongue between his teeth and nipped before lavishing the skin. Raven's fingers buried in his hair and he pulled away for a moment, watching her. Her lips trembled, and he kissed them softly before dragging his lips down the column of her neck to her collarbone, nipping at the flesh. Meanwhile, his hands trailed over the rest of her skin, finding all the subtly erogenous zones. The inside of her arms, the tender spot beneath her breast, the skin behind her ear; all places that could easily have been forgotten by less confident lovers.

Raven panted, and his name escaped her lips, woven with passion. It was a testament to his strength of will that he didn't return the sound. He had never imagined that being with Raven would feel like _this_. Like he was living in heaven and hell simultaneously. Desire welled up in him and he wanted nothing more than to take her in every way possible. His mouth traveled lower, down her sternum, and in between the valley of her breasts. He felt her heart thump loudly under his kiss, and he found himself pausing and listening to the sound. There was something incredibly intimate about feeling her pulse. He picked his head up and stared at her, watching as her head fell back against the downy pillows on her bed.

He palmed her breasts, listening to her nearly inaudible whimper, before pulling his body back over hers, catching her lips again. Her mouth was raw and swollen from some of his harsher teasing and biting, and he found himself suddenly interested in what else he could tease. His mouth moved down her sternum again, kissing her heart before his attention turned to her breasts. Raven's breath hitched, and out of the corner of his eye, Aqualad could see her fingers tighten into the comforter on the bed. He slid his tongue over her breast, taking time to foray around the silky skin before fully taking her into his mouth. She cried out, her back arching off the bed.

Aqualad let his fingertips drift over her stomach, drawing random patterns, learning by her reactions what parts of her loved to be touched, and what parts of her loved to be handled. His teeth pulled on her breast and she cried out again. It was lucky she was now human, otherwise Aqualad was certain the comforter beneath them would have been nothing but shreds.

His hand dipped lower, fingers nudging her thighs apart. He felt the heat from her blush against his own skin, and he fought against the smile on his lips. This would not be the first time he would make her blush, he would be certain of that. His fingertips trailed along the smooth skin of her thighs, listening to the soft gasp that escaped from her lips. He heard the almost inaudible whisper that spilled from her mouth, the single word of encouragement, and that was he needed. Biting back a grin, he pressed a finger into her core, feeling her heat bathe his hand and her body tighten around him. She cried out again, sweat erupting against her skin and glittering in the moonlight filtering in from the window.

She was ready for him, but he had so much more exploring to do, and they were short on time. He would simply have to settle for pleasuring her this way first. Pressing another finger into her center, he moved against her, feeling her body shake and tremble with every twitch of his fingers. The soft pants were slowly turning into lower, deeper cries. He saw the way her pupils dilated, the way her fingers clenched and unclenched, the curve of her spine as she arched off the silken covers. She was on the edge of her precipice, being tossed around in the storm, waiting for that moment of relief.

And he was only too glad to give it to her.

Raven finally screamed, a raw sound that ripped against his resolve like knives against silk. His lips covered hers and he sucked the breath from her lungs and his fingers continued to mercilessly pleasure her. One of her hands wrapped around his wrist, as if trying to cling to something while she was tossed around the edges of the storm. After her aftershocks had subsided into mere tingles coursing under her skin, he released her lips looking down into her eyes.

"I think it's time we get back to the party. Our friends are going to get suspicious."

"Oh." Raven's face darkened in embarrassment, obviously having forgotten all about her own party. Her eyes drifted over him and she moved away, searching for the edge of the comforter beneath her, trying to keep herself modest. "What about you... aren't you going to...?" Her words drifted off and she looked down his body, obviously seeing his own reaction to her need.

"I never said we were finished, now did I?" He nipped at her ear before standing up, picking up her clothes from the end of the bed. He handed them to her, turning around to offer her some semblance of privacy. He listened to her shimmy into her jeans and tee-shirt before turning around. Her cheeks were still flushed, and it took every ounce of his will not to continue to kiss her senseless.

"Um... are you..." She cleared her throat and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. "Are you staying the night at the tower?"

"I think that was the plan." He reached out and threaded his fingers through hers, feeling the electricity start to spark between them again. "I'd like to share your room with you if you don't mind."

"I... I would like that." Raven fought against her blush, but it was a losing battle, and she ended up looking away. "I'd like to reciprocate, if _you_ don't mind."

It was Aqualad's turn to blush, and he almost dropped her hand out of surprise. There were a million reasons he had fallen in love with Raven, and her innocence was certainly one of them. But hearing her talk like that... it made him want to lock both of them in her room forever. He tugged on her arm, and started for her door. "I don't think I would mind that at all. Now, let's get back to the party, or they're going to figure out what we were doing."

Raven snorted. "I can only imagine Speedy's mind has already wandered there."

Aqualad shrugged. "I certainly wouldn't put it past him."

)O(

_Well, this was certainly fan service.  
I promise that next chapter will have… more lemons… and something that actually moves the plot forward. _

_Anyway, let me know what you think!_


	5. Chapter Four

_Author's Note: I think I caught a few of you off-guard with upping the rating from T to M, so at the request of a reader, I'm blocking out the lemons with a warning that will look like: **(Lemon)** and **(End Lemon)**, so if you want to avoid the naughty bits, you are more than welcome to. The story functions fine without the sex, so no worries there.  
Also, Lacey, Happy Birthday. I hope I wasn't too late, and I hope you enjoy the gift!_

**Cheated  
**Chapter Four

)O(

Raven felt suspiciously like everyone in the room knew exactly what her and Aqualad had just done. Even though no one looked at her, even though no one said anything, and even though there weren't any emotions that indicated that any of the guests knew what had transpired between her and Aqualad behind closed doors, Raven still felt like her personal business was painted in red on her forehead.

But there was a small part of her that just too content to care.

"Rae!" Speedy waved his hand and trotted over to her, grinning as he stopped in front of her. "I just have to ask."

She eyed him carefully. "Ask what?"

"How did it feel to-"

Aqualad's hand clamped over his mouth and he glared daggers at his teammate before dragging him off to a more secluded corner of the room for a heated discussion. Color filled Raven's face as she realized exactly what he was going to ask her. She stood shocked as she watched Speedy's rolled eyes as Aqualad laid into him. Glancing around at the rest of her friends (who seemed to have no clue what was going on, or were too drunk to care), she hid her face in the shadows to erase her embarrassment and rubbed her forehead. If she had known that admitting she was interested in pleasures of the flesh was going to be this much trouble, she would have stayed celibate her entire life.

Which, unfortunately, wasn't that much longer.

That thought hit her like a lightning bolt, and ice poured into her body as she stared across the room at Aqualad, who was still giving Speedy a sound verbal beating. Her eyes drifted over his lithe form, and her stomach turned as she watched him move. It was like watching the sea flow and twist, and he was _undeniably _attractive. He seemed to notice her attention, and turned to catch her stare, his lips turning up into something between a half-smile and a predatory smirk, before looking back at Speedy. Raven felt her heart skip a beat and color returned to her face as she realized something she should have realized yesterday:

She wanted to live.

It was pathetic that it took a sexual encounter to realize what she needed, but it was the same nonetheless. She didn't want to give up, and she certainly had no desire to roll over and just let reapers have their way with her soul. It might have taken some time to see and realize it, but Raven had everything she had ever wanted in her life: family, friends, and now even a lover. Things that she had never thought she would have the chance to experience, she had them all now. And she was going to lose them all simply because a "higher power" had some fantastical idea that she had lived too long and have been given too many breaks?

Fuck. That. Shit.

Anger bubbled up in her chest and she fought the urge to glare at nothing as her thoughts drifted. She had _earned_ this. She had fought off Trigon, had saved the world and its citizens countless times, she had put others before herself more times than she cared to think about, and she would be _damned _if all of that was in vain. She had earned her friends, had earned her right to her family, and she had earned her right to a lover. She was going to be happy if it was the only thing she did in her time left on earth.

"You okay?"

Raven was pulled from her thoughts as Robin approached her. She offered him her usual, thin smile and nodded, trying to keep her emotions under control. Just because she didn't have her powers didn't mean that she couldn't lose control of her own emotions. "I'm fine. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"This." Raven motioned to their friends before she looked back at her leader. "I'm just thinking that this is a little too good to give up without a fight."

He seemed shocked by her words and pondered that statement for a moment. "Oh?" There was another, long pause and he turned to look at her. "Not that I'm complaining or anything, Raven, because I am _beyond _happy to see you fighting back against whatever this is that's controlling you, but why the sudden change in heart? I thought you were content to accept your fate, and that it was some kind of destiny bullshit."

Raven gave a one shouldered shrug. "Things change."

"Huh…" Color filled his face suddenly, and he twitched a little, as if he were trying to ask something but still be tactful about it. "This doesn't have anything to do with… you know… Garth… and you..." he trailed off, fidgeting.

Raven looked over at him, her face pale. "Goddess. Does _everyone _know?"

"I don't know if _everyone_ knows, but Cyborg and Beast Boy… and I guess Speedy too seemed to know what you were doing. I mean, you guys were gone for a while..." Robin groaned and ran a hand through his hair, as if he was trying to rub the memories from his brain and wipe his mind clear of any impure thoughts. "Look, I _really_ don't want to think of my best friend and another team member… _copulating_-"

Raven paled and stared at him. "_Copulating_?"

"-but if you're truly happy, then I guess I won't complain." He shrugged and looked down at her, obviously ignoring her shocked expression at his words. "You just _feel _different, and It's rare to see you smile like you are, Raven. So if Garth is what makes you happy, then I support the both of you, no matter what you choose."

Raven raised an eyebrow and continued to stare at him, as if waiting for a 'but' to follow the statement. When he stayed silent, she finally responded to him. "That's a surprisingly mature and adult thing for you to say, Robin. I'm a little shocked that you managed it at all. In fact, I honestly thought you would lay down the iron fist and argue about how team members shouldn't be romantically involved and it was a liability to have feelings." She nudged his shoulder. "You know, much like your benefactor."

He scowled. "I don't always have a stick up my ass."

Raven shrugged. "Sometimes though."

He rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of a smirk on his lips, knowing that she had called him out on his personality traits. It was a mark of the strength of their friendship that they could both tease each other like this. "Yeah, well. You try being the leader to a team that contains a robot, a demon, an alien, and _Beast Boy_ and see how much fun you can be. It's hard, damnit." He chuckled, and there was a slight lull in the conversation as his mind wandered off for a moment. He looked back out at their friends, all dancing and having fun, completely oblivious to their conversation.

"So, you're going to fight for your life."

"Yeah."

"Well, I'm glad you're not going to roll over and take it any more."

Raven sighed as she felt the air around them turn heavy with emotions and she rubbed her arms to combat against the weight that now sat on her shoulders. She had no idea even where to start, let alone what "fighting back" would entail. "You say it like it's such a simple thing, Robin. Like it's battling an alien invasion or fighting Cinderblock. It's much harder than that, it's much more involved. This is one of the bringers of _death_, a gross hybrid between fate, destiny, and causation, and I have _no idea_ what the hell I'm getting myself into."

Like usual, Robin's face was unreadable. "Perhaps. But you are also one of the strongest and smartest people I know. You fought against Trigon, and no matter how much you told me that it wasn't going to do any good, that there was nothing that would save you or the world, you _still_ managed to win. You still managed to succeed against a demon who can topple worlds. That is certainly something to be said."

"I didn't know you had such a strong opinion."

"Of course I do, you're my best friend." He patted her shoulder in a gesture that seemed strangely reserved for the severity of their situation. "And, in case you forgot, you're not alone in this. There are people willing to fight for you too."

Raven looked out at the room, the whole area packed with people who were willing to fight for her and with her, and realized that she was trying to shoulder a responsibility that would have been much easier to share with friends. In the crowd, she felt a particular stare turn and lock onto her own, filling her body with warmth. She offered a shy smile to Aqualad and looked back at Robin. "Sometimes I think I _do _forget that I have pretty super friends."

He rolled her eyes at her pun. "Jeez, Raven, don't get all cute and teary-eyed on me now, or I might have to start thinking your body has been snatched too."

"Ha ha. You're so funny." She rolled her eyes back at him and moved toward the crowd of people milling around the floor, feeling his laughter follow her into the forest of their friends. Tonight she wasn't alone, and she was going to find a way to fight this thing.

)O(

Aqualad couldn't keep his eyes off her all night. She moved through their friends like smoke. Dark, but still wanting to reach out and touch everyone and everything. Something about her seemed different after her conversation with Robin. It was as if a weight had been pulled from her shoulders and she was free to move how she wanted. There was resolve in her step, laughter in her monotone voice, a _sparkle_ in her eye.

And, Poseidon, it was _sexy_.

It took every ounce of his self control to keep himself from jumping her with every step she took. She still was reserved and shy, and not having her powers would not have changed that. So, Aqualad had to be careful about interacting with her, careful about giving their friends the wrong impression, and careful about drawing too much attention to her. And it hurt like _hell_ to avoid her the rest of the night. More often than not, he found himself tuning out of conversations just to recall the memory of her panting beneath him, and fantasize about all the delicious things he would do to her tonight.

Minutes felt like hours, and hours felt like _weeks_.

Finally, when the night seemed to wear on into the morning, and all their friends had seemed to relax into furniture and start to drift off, or conversations stilled and became quiet, Aqualad made his move. He came up behind her, discreetly running his fingertips down her bare arm.

She turned and looked at him, color filling her face as she remembered what they had agreed to only hours before. He was going to stay the night with her.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "I think I'm ready for bed."

He watched her swallow and nod, but said nothing. There was fear in her eyes, but it was mingled with anticipation and excitement, and that was worth more than anything he could ask for. She was _excited _about their encounter, and he wasn't going to let her down… at least not until she came apart in his arms.

She moved towards the door, but Aqualad didn't follow her just yet, both out of respect to not draw attention to them, and to give her a false idea of security. Distance was comforting to her, but he would make certain that by the end of their night together she wouldn't want any distance between them. He let a few minutes span their bodies, and then he walked out of the living room and down the hall and into the stairwell.

Closed doors lined the dark quarters hallway, and Aqualad briefly wondered if they were the only couple who was going to engage in more interesting activities this evening.

Moments later he found himself outside her door, and he entered without knocking (not exactly a gentlemanly thing to do, but he was already aching to see her). Raven stood in front of her bed, a shocked expression on her face as she pulled off her t-shirt, leaving her in her bra and panties. There was a moment when her mouth opened as if she meant to scold him, but decided against it and scowled instead.

Color filled her face and she tried to cover her body up with her arms. "You could knock."

"Sorry, I'm a little excited." He smiled and approached her slowly, as if she were a potentially violent animal, not wanting to frighten her. He knew that she was powerless, but that didn't mean that she couldn't still read emotions, and if she was reading him, then his less-than-noble intentions _had_ to be evident all over his face. "Next time I'll remember my manners."

Raven shifted, but obviously said nothing about him implying that there was going to be a "next time". That made him happy that she didn't object to the idea. She cleared her throat, as if to get his attention.

"I was trying to…" She searched for the right word. "...freshen up before you got here."

He sat down on the edge of her bed, looking up at her. "Then by all means, continue."

"It's not the same if you _watch_."

He could see the embarrassment all over her face, as if what she was trying to do was completely outside of her box of normalcy. That _certainly_ peaked his interest. He watched her for a moment before covering his eyes with his hands, desperately trying to hide his smirk. "I won't look, pretend I'm not even here."

She sighed in annoyance, but he heard her as she continued to move around her room. Aqualad was insatiably curious as to exactly what she was "freshening up" but he wasn't going to complain. Anticipation was foreplay in and of itself. He heard her open her closet, curse under her breath, hunt for something in the in the back, and grumble as the sound of a flimsy, old garment box filled the room. There was a long moment of silence, and Aqualad felt her move to stand in front of him.

She fidgeted for a moment before whispering, "Okay. You can look."

He lowered his hands, and just about had a heart attack.

She stood in front of him in a navy blue, see-through, lacy negligee. It ruffled and flowed around her hips and pushed up her already ample chest, making her look more like a model in a lingerie catalog that a superhero with a sturdy, reliable body. Color filled her face and she looked away fidgeting again.

"Starfire made me buy this months ago, back before she knew my status as a v-card holder…" She tugged on the hem, pulling it down further, which only brought the neckline down too. "Considering my proverbial clock is ticking… it seemed silly to let something so expensive go to waste."

"Oh." Aqualad knew he was supposed to be cool and suave and know exactly what to say in this situation, but staring at the object of his desire in nothing more than see-through lace made him suddenly forget most of the letters of the alphabet and how to use them. He continued to stare at her, hoping this image would be burned into his memory forever. "Oh."

"Is that all you can say?"

"Forgive me," he said, recollecting himself, "but what else can I say?"

He saw a flash of anger behind her eyes and she glared. "I'm standing practically naked in front of you and putting myself out here, and that's all you can say?"

"Without being crude? Yes." He shrugged and stood up to her body, running his hands over the soft lace of her lingerie and the silk of her pale skin. His eyes met hers and a corner of his lips turned up into a smirk. "What would you _like_ me to say, Raven? That seeing you in this makes me want to bend you into all _kinds _of interesting shapes? That now I'm bound and determined to make sure you don't have the chance to sleep tonight? That I'm going to fuck you so hard that you'll be seeing stars for a week?"

Color filled her face again.

"Because," he continued, "all those things are true, but I didn't think they were safe to utter in polite company."

She looked away and mumbled something so soft, even Aqualad had trouble hearing it.

"Excuse me?"

"I said that I didn't want to be considered polite company."

He couldn't keep the smile off his lips if he tried. "Well then, Raven, let's misbehave."

**(Lemon)**

Without waiting for her response (or permission), he bent down and kissed her. Her lips tasted faintly of tea and rum and just a touch of strawberries. He nudged her mouth open and delved his tongue inside, tasting her fully. Even though he had spent well over an hour kissing her earlier, he still couldn't get enough of her unique flavor. It made his whole body jump with excitement and anticipation.

His hands slid around her body, one burying into her silken hair, the other sliding down the curve of her spine to rest on her backside. She groaned into his mouth and pushed herself closer to him, fingers fisting into the folds on his shirt, tugging at the hem. He smiled against her lips, she was trying to undress him. Cute.

Taking her nonverbal cue, he pulled the shirt off over his head, leaving him bare chested in the moonlight. Raven pulled back and stared at him, letting her eyes roam over the paleness of his skin and the scars of battle that peppered the planes of his chest. She reached out and traced a particularly bad one that webbed over his left shoulder and splintered down his pectoral muscles.

"I didn't realize you…" She looked up at him. "I can heal them, if you want."

He chuckled at her innocence and tugged at her hair. "You don't have your powers anymore, Raven. Besides, they're memories to me. Reminders of what it means to be a hero." His hands returned to her body, snapping the elastic on her underwear teasingly. "And anyway, we're in the middle of something a little more important here."

She blushed again and leaned on her tiptoes, initiating the next kiss. He grinned inwardly and pulled her down on the bed, only breaking the kiss when he tugged her underwear off her body. The rules and guidelines from his lessons seemed to be going out the window with every passing second, and every innocent, exploratory caress from her. He knew how to pleasure her body, he knew how to make sure she came away completely satiated, but what he _didn't_ know was how to control his own urges.

He wanted nothing more than to give her everything at once, but knew that was a sensory overload and she would probably be nothing more than a mushy puddle of flesh before he was through. That just wouldn't do. No, he had to keep her alert and interested for the rest of the night if he wanted to play some more.

He slid his hands down her stomach before dipping under the flowing hem of her negligee. Her blush erupted under his touch, and he grazed his fingertips of the skin of her thighs, listening to the hitch in her breath as if it were a symphony. She could turn him on with just the noise alone. He let the anticipation build, touching everywhere except her throbbing center. She shifted against him, whimpered, clawed at his back, but he refused to touch her.

He nuzzled her neck, pulling one of the thin, lacy straps of her negligee down with his teeth. "Come on, Raven, what's the magic word?"

Embarrassment filled her face and she moved her hand as if she were going to relieve the ache herself, just to avoid the humility of submission. Aqualad pushed her hand out of the way, clicking his tongue as if she'd been a bad girl. "Come on, you have to ask politely or I'll just keep teasing you." He nibbled on her earlobe.

"Please," she whispered, her body trembling with anticipation. "Please."

He smiled against her skin and slid a finger into her body. She cried out in relief and her hands tightened on his shoulders as he continued to pleasure her. Her body tightened around him and her breath was coming in short, sporadic gasps. She was _so close_. He pulled his hand away, hearing the disappointment in her voice.

"Wait." He whispered into her skin.

He let a moment pass and then he moved down her body, his shoulders nudging her legs open even wider. It was like she was a feast that had been set out for only him to enjoy. A protest fell from her lips and she shook her head violently against the pillows.

"No."

He looked up at her through blue lace, making sure she saw his disappointment. "One taste."

"No. I don't like it."

_That _piqued his interest. "How do you know? Have you done this before?" Not that it mattered all that much to him, but she _had_ said she was carrying her membership card to the v-club. He ran a finger down her center again, teasing the already sensitive skin. "Have you let someone feast on you before?"

He felt her blush and he had to fight his laughter at her shocked and somewhat offended expression. Sometimes, as much as she hated it, she really was just so damn cute.

"No… I just. I don't think that you'd enjoy it and I don't know if I would."

"But you haven't tried?" He raised an eyebrow, watching as she shook her head. "Then how do you know?"

"I can just assume."

"And you also assume that I _don't _like it?"

"Well, you like it when… I mean, all guys do, right?"

He shrugged. "Not all." Pause. "But most." He propped himself up on his elbows and looked into her eyes. "Tell you what, Raven. You let me see if you like it, and I'll let you see if I like it. It's a fair trade."

"No." She shook her head.

Aqualad sighed in defeat, but before he moved, he slid his tongue against her center in a teasing gesture. She jumped and cursed beneath him, pushing at his shoulders in frustration. He laughed at her and tugged the rest of her negligee off her body, ignoring her protests.

"You can't tease me like that."

"How do you _want_ me to tease you?" He smiled down at her as his fingers found her center again and he pressed against her moist heat. She groaned and her head fell back against her pillow, her words becoming unintelligible as she thrashed against his ministrations. It didn't take much longer to have her back to the precipice of pleasure, her moans and whimpers echoing through the room as she begged for release.

Aqualad was only too happy to give it to her.

Her back arched as his name hissed from between her lips. He watched as her body convulsed as her eyes closed and words fell from her lips too fast and too quiet to hear. He nuzzled her neck, nipping at whatever flesh he could taste. Moments passed as he let her float down from the heavens and into his arms, and he smiled.

"May I?"

She looked at him, obviously shocked that he had asked, and nodded.

Aqualad stood up and peeled off the rest of his clothes, trying to keep his own embarrassment from showing on his face. He knew (logically) that he had nothing to be ashamed of. He was lithe, but muscular, and built well as far as bodies go, and had been _gifted_ with obvious endowments. But that didn't keep him from having some amount of humility and worrying that he might not be up to Raven's standards.

Did v-club members even _have _standards?

Raven sat up on her knees and watched him undress with curiosity. He frowned and avoided her stare as he removed the last remaining barrier between his body and the air around them. There was her swift intake of breath, and he turned back to look at her wide eyes staring at him. He shifted uncomfortably and frowned under the weight of her gaze.

"You're making me feel like a rare zoo animal."

Raven blushed and brought her eyes back up to his face. "You _are_ a rare zoo animal."

He raised an eyebrow. "And you would know this how?"

"Starfire isn't exactly… _timid_ about wanting to understand the mating process of humans." She picked at her comforter, avoiding his curious stare. "I've seen some things that I cannot unsee, unfortunately." Pause. "And you are _certainly_ a rare zoo animal."

He wasn't sure if he should be proud of that or not. He sighed. "Look, I'm not here to talk about my rarity, I'm here to put my rarity to use."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "By all means, have at it."

He grinned down at her before crawling onto the bed, blanketing her body with his own. He tried to ignore the nervousness coursing through his veins, embarrassed that he was worried about his performance with her. He should have had nothing to worry about, but being with _Raven_ made him suddenly question and doubt his skills. Above all, he wanted her to be sufficiently pleasured. He wanted her to come again and again, and he wanted her to be a mess of emotions beneath his fingertips. That was a lot for him to handle.

His mouth sought hers, and he reached up to cup her face as they kissed fervently. Her lips moved against his own, and he tasted her anticipation on his tongue like fine wine. She was excited, wanting to feel every pleasure she could with him; wanting to experience so much more than she already had. Her hands trailed over his body, running along the strong lines and planes of his chest before dipping lower over his abdomen, and then even lower still.

Aqualad grunted when her skin touched his. His erection throbbed under her touch and he threw his head back and hissed her name between clenched teeth.

Raven pulled her hand away as if she'd been burnt. "Did I hurt you?"

"No." He gasped, rolling her body under him. She looked trapped and innocent in the fading moonlight of the night, and the energy from their teasing conversation seemed to disappear as he ran a hand down her sternum. "No. I just didn't expect your touch to be so… soft." Or to drive him halfway to madness.

"Do you not want me to touch you?"

Hell. No. He wanted her touch him all over. "I like it when you touch me."

Her hands slid down his body again and he groaned into her neck, just reveling in the feeling of her skin on his. She stroked him carefully, exploring him with feathered caresses until he really _was _halfway to madness. Biting her neck, he pulled her hand away from his body and looked down into her eyes.

"I'm going to lose my well-placed control if you keep doing that, Raven."

There was shock in her eyes mingled with excitement, as if she wanted to see him lose control. Of course that only turned _him _on even more. She leaned up and kissed him slowly, opening her legs just slightly as an invitation. Aqualad didn't need to be asked twice. He pushed himself into her body until he met resistance, and then whispered apologies on her lips as he finally claimed her innocence.

She cried out, her nails digging into his shoulder blades as she tried to fight the pain that coursed violently through her body. Aqualad stilled above her, still whispering apologies into her skin like a prayer until silence and stillness webbed between them. Moments passed and then he heard the faintest moan fall from between her lips.

Aqualad smirked. It certainly didn't take much to get her excited. Taking a deep breath, he moved within her, and Raven's moans increased in volume, nails running down his back. Her hips lifted to meet his and her body jumped with every movement he made. And then he felt the airy feeling her her body stilling, the calm before the storm.

His fingers slid between their bodies and he found her clit, sliding his fingertip over it in a feather-light caress. That was all she needed. She broke apart in his arms and cried out into the darkness as he pleasured her body with his, never relenting in his movements. Raven twitched beneath him, aftershocks coursing through her body. Her eyes swept up to meet his and a blush covered her body.

"You didn't…"

He raised an eyebrow. "It's only been five minutes."

"Oh." Her blush darkened. "Are you going to…"

"Oh, _yes_." He nipped at her ear, sliding his tongue along the shell. "I most certainly will."

"Oh." Color filled her face. "And… I… will…"

"And you will not be displeased."

He moved again, silencing any more conversation that might have happened. Raven gasped as he grabbed her hips and angled her body just right, trying to please everything all at once. She cried out, another flush erupting over her skin in excitement.

Time seemed never ending as he continued to pleasure her, occasionally switching their positions or stopping altogether just to build the anticipation. Raven was unbelievably responsive, and she moaned and panted beneath him, simply letting him use her body to fulfill his own needs after he continually sent her to the stars and back again. Aqualad didn't think that he would ever get enough of her, and he would be addicted to her particular brand of pleasure for the rest of his life.

When his body finally gave into his own release, he cried out her name, blanketing her body with his. His limbs trembled both from exertion and the force at which his own orgasm had ripped through his soul. He nuzzled her neck, listening as her pulse thudded through her veins. It was the most beautiful sound in the world and he could have listened to it for hours on end.

Her fingers slid into his hair and tugged gently at the strands. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." He nipped at her jawline. "Yes. I am. You?"

"Mm." Was her only response.

He laughed and pulled himself from the sanctuary of her body. "That good, huh?"

She nudged him in punishment and rolled off the bed, hunting down something to wear. When she returned to the covers again, she had on a pair of panties and his t-shirt. Poseidon, that was sexier than any negligee she could have worn. He smiled down into her face as she crawled under the covers with him.

**(End Lemon)**

"I want to have pillow talk," he murmured into her hair.

"But?"

"You kinda wore me out."

Raven shook her head, the movement tickling his cheek. "Go to sleep, I'll still be here in the morning."

He stilled at that thought, his own moments freezing mid-motion. Yes, tomorrow she would still be here in his arms. And the day after that. But how much longer did she had until that time was up? Two days had already passed from her graciously awarded week, which meant he only had five more days left to be with her.

And five more days wasn't enough.

Hell, a life time wasn't enough.

Something heavy and dark slid over his heart and he looked away from her, frowning. He couldn't bear the thought of losing her. It ripped at his soul until there was nothing left but pain and heartache drowning him.

Raven looked into his eyes, running her fingertips down his face. She seemed to understand the pain in his eyes, and tried to comfort him with her touch. It only made things worse to remember that he wouldn't be able to enjoy her touch for much longer. "Sleep now. We'll fight death tomorrow."

Fight death? Impossible.

He closed his eyes and captured her lips in an innocent kiss before letting her drift off to sleep. For right now all he could do was hold her.

)O(

Raven felt the presence enter her room, even through her exhaustion-induced sleep. It came suddenly and moved around her bed with careful steps, each movement silent on her plush carpet, but filled with emotions and curiosity. Her body naturally tried to reach for her powers, but only found the frayed edges of the threads that used to be there. Groaning, she sat up, pushing at her bed head as she stared at the shape moving in the darkness. It took a moment, but she recognized the shape of a pristine suit and tie.

"What are you doing here?" She yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, looking down at the half-naked Aqualad curled around her pillow, oblivious to the stranger in their presence. "I still have five days left by my calculations."

"Four and a half." His bright-white smile nearly glowed in the darkness, reminding Raven of the Cheshire cat trying to give directions to a lost, confused Alice. "I came by to see what you've been up to. Clearly, you've been using your time to the fullest. Drinking, partying... finally cashing in your v-card. Been a busy girl I see."

Color flooded her face and she stood up moving farther away from her occupied bed, in case her talking woke him up. If Aqualad were to open his eyes, he would see Raven talking to herself. Only those on death's doorstep could see and interact with a Reaper. It as a rule. She pulled Aqualad's oversized tee-shirt down, hoping that the Reaper couldn't see her panties.

He waved her off. "In my millennia of taking lives, there isn't a whole lot that I haven't seen. Your boring, utilitarian panties are no surprise to me."

Raven tried not to be offended by his indifference, or his rudeness. He had the power to control death, after all, so it probably wasn't a very good idea to piss him off. "What do you want? You can see that I'm using the time you gave me aptly. And besides, I don't see why you would be concerned with what I do with the rest of my time."

He shrugged. "You're interesting. I've never had the privilege of taking the soul of a half-demon... you're more powerful than anything I've ever known before, and I'm curious as to what you are doing with that time that was given to you."

"Knitting." She rolled her eyes. "If you don't mind, I would like to get back to sleep so I can enjoy the next four days with my friends."

"Raven."

She jumped and looked over at Aqualad, he was sitting up and his eyes were moving from her to the Reaper and back again. She offered him a small smile. "Don't worry, I'm not talking to myself."

"I _see _that." Aqualad shoved the covers off himself and approached her. "Why can I see your Reaper?"

Raven's stomach dropped and she stared at the suited man in front of her. "You can see him?"

He chuckled, his smile widening. "I've been found out. Well, no matter, little bird, I still have this." He pulled from his pocket the golden thread of her soul that contained her powers. He dangled it in front of her face for a moment before stepping back, taunting her as if she were locked away in a cage. "So, I don't imagine I have too much to worry about. See you in four day's time."

)O(

_Thanks for reading, please let me know what you thought!_


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